KDU Campus life

KDU-Swiss Cultural Exchange

by: Ann Teoh

KDU College co-hosted a seminar together with Tourism Malaysia for Swiss students from the Lucerne School of Tourism, University of Applied Sciences & Arts, on 14th April. The seminar provided some 50 students and six lecturers an opportunity to know Malaysia as a tourist destination as well as being a focal point for cultural and tourism exchange between Switzerland and Malaysia. Meeting their counterparts were Ms Kitty Lee, Head of the School of Hospitality, Tourism & Culinary Arts, Datin Puteri Juliana (Lecturer,Events Management) and the academia staff and students.

Campus Tour

Enjoying the traditional dance performances.

The Swiss students are from the tour and travel industry and they study part-time at the university. Accompanied by Mr. Manfred Ritschard (Head of Seminar) and other lecturers, namely: Mr. Furrer Werner, Mr. Rudolf Wey, Ms Rebekka Mehr and Mr. Daniel Peter, they had visited Borneo before arriving at Kuala Lumpur. At KDU College, they shared their personal impressions about tourism in Borneo, its impact on the Ibans in Sarawak and the importance of tourism in supporting wild life sanctuaries.

Their presentations were succint, informative and interesting - in dialogue form, interviews or formal presentations. Some of the interview questions were, "How would you design your marketing strategy for tight budget travellers who wish to visit Sarawak?" or, "What are the unique selling propositions of Sarawak?"

Presenting their views about their eco-tourism in Borneo.

A question "Would you recommend Sarawak as a family destination?" was posed to Sabrina Kurmann and Cornelia Meister. They both gave their opinions that while the long journey could be exhausting and the weather could be hot for children, Sarawak could be a family destination for children above ten years old, as hotels do organise river cruises, visits to the Sepiluk Orang Utan sanctuary and the long houses, which are all unforgettable experiences.

Ever heard of the Rainforest Music Festival? Well, Francesa Drosi, who has never been to one, was impressed with the 3-days Music Festival held at Damai. A large gathering of musicians from the world which included Russia, Peru, Japan and many others, played to a strong audience of 24,000, of which 70% were Malaysians. She felt this was well organised by the Sarawak Tourism Board in promoting Malaysian culture which has fanned media interest.

Imagine taking a 45-minute boat ride to meet an Iban Chieftain and 29 families who live together in a long house! What an amazing experience for Stephanie and her friends. She felt that such a homestay is enriching for both parties as the tourists could learn more about the Ibans' strong beliefs and values, and the Ibans could make a living from selling their creative and well-made handicrafts.

A visit to the Matang Wildlife Centre and the Sepilok Orang Utan Sanctuary was an eye opener for Eliane Keller and Rebekka Frick where they admired not only the beauty of the rainforests but also the effort of the two centres in protecting endangered species of animals.

Said the emcee for the day, Bim, "Although I've never been to Borneo, listening to their sharing today made me feel that I've been there."

Emcee Bim (right): "Show me how to joget!"

Puan Noor Aine Ismail, the Deputy Director of Tourism Malaysia (International Marketing Division) was pleased to note that the Swiss students' observation about the lifestyles of the Sarawak people, the impact of tourism on protected and non-protected areas were well-researched, with very positive recommendations and conclusions about Malaysia.

KDU students showcased traditional Chinese, Indian and Malay dances. In the end, everyone took to the floor doing the Joget (Malay traditional dance) and having fun playing Malaysian traditional games.

A Chinese fan dance by: Yu Dan, Li Jia Wen,
Li Yu Jiao and Ma Ping (Class BA1A)

Indian traditional dancers: Musyarrafah, Lilawathy, Nor Naquiah and Puspaneela (from class BA2D)

"This is how you joget, Bim!"

This is how we play Malaysian childhood games.

The awesome trip to Borneo was arranged by Mr Andy Kuhn (info@malaysia-direkt.ch), and the seminar was organised with various representatives from the Embassy of Switzerland (Mr. Frank Eggmann, Counsellor & Deputy Head of Mission), Ms Lyn Loh (Malaysian Representative, Switzerland Tourism), Cik Noor Aine Ismail (Tourism Malaysia, Deputy Director), Datin Puteri Juliana and Ms Kitty Lee (School of Hospitality, Tourism & Culinary Arts, KDU College) and Mr. Manfred Ritschard.

Mr. Frank Eggmann with Ms Kitty Lee.

Many thanks go to the students majoring in Events Management and chef students (CULA 5) under the guidance of Chef Yahaya, who had spent many hours preparing the wonderful Malaysian buffet for the guests. These included appetisers such as kerabu mangga, kerabu perut; main course of murtabak ayam, otak-otak, roti jala, curry laksa and a variety of dessert: kueh sri muka, kueh koci, bubur cha-cha and a lot more. If you think dining with chopsticks was going to be a problem with the Swiss guests, it certainly was not the case.

Chopsticks? Not a problem!

Cula 5 Students with one of the dancers.

Chef Yahaya took time to say "Hello" to his guests.

Mr Allan Le Bras in traditional baju Melayu, enjoying satay.

While our Swiss guests enjoy our rich cultural diversity, warm hospitality and traditional cuisine, the SHTCA students were enriched by their presence and their excellent presentations. As Ms Lyn Loh said, "It's an excellent platform for cultural exchange, for the foreign students as well as KDUvers. For hospitality students, it is definitely a good experience to practise hands-on managing a real event."

source : KDU Campus life

Nilai University College | School of Hospitality & Tourism

Nilai UC’s team efforts were rewarded at the recent Taste of Italy cooking competition when it bagged the ‘Best Teamwork’ award.

“The most stressful aspect of the competition was the waiting of the results,” says Ng Chee Yung, final year Culinary Arts student at Nilai University College (Nilai UC). Three students were handpicked by Nilai UC’s School of Hospitality and Tourism’s senior lecturer, Chef Nadzri Bin Mohd Alim, to take part in the Taste of Italy cooking competition which was organized by the Italian Trade Commission in Kuala Lumpur recently.

“We at Nilai UC are committed to giving students an all-rounded education and taking part in cooking competitions is an essential part of the process. Two months prior to the competition, I conducted a selection process which in the end 3 of them were selected based on the result of the selection from 20 students short listed The selected three have all the criteria I am looking for in terms of class performance, diligence, discipline, passion and the willingness to learn. Each team member had a forte and I was confident the combination of these qualities would achieve the desired results,” said Chef Nadzri.

It most certainly did. When the results were announced Nilai UC’s team missed first place by just a solitary point but the team’s concise and efficient methods in the kitchen were rewarded as they were given the ‘Best Teamwork’ award. Nilai UC’s line-up was completed with two first year students – Cheung Chee Hon and Ong Tuen Wern.

“This is the culmination of all the hard work we put into the training for this competition. I am very proud to be part of this award-winning team and it has spurred me to work even harder for future competitions,” says Ong. Chef Nadzri put the team through their paces with six extra hours a day for two straight weeks prior to the competition date which ensured they were well drilled in their respective tasks. The team has to prepare a typically Italian menu of ravioli, risotto, roast lamb and tiramisu in the allotted four hours. The students said it was a challenge to work in an alien environment and on a type of cuisine they are only briefly acquainted with.

“However, such conditions make us better at what we do. Being able to produce results under high-pressure environments is part and parcel of a chef’s life. Our achievement in this competition also showed that we are competent enough to do well in cooking competitions and I certainly look forward to being selected to take part in many more,” said a visibly pumped Ng.

Chef Nadzri firmly believes that taking part in such competitions build students confidence and is invaluable experience. “Nilai UC’s Culinary Arts programme does focus a lot on practical sessions and the ‘Advance Kitchen Practical’ module have assisted them in many ways to win the award. I hope this will spur all the students to be more fervent in wanting to take part in future competitions,” he added.

In all, the three students highlighted the most important thing in running a successful kitchen which is teamwork. “Open communication and an efficient work ethic ensured we got the prize for ‘Best Teamwork’. All aspiring chefs will need to learn the value of teamwork but we’ve got this aspect nailed,” smiled Ong.